


A Tangerine Bobbing on the Water

by TandemTypewriter



Category: One Piece
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angry Nami (One Piece), Established Relationship, Everyone Is At Least Ten Years Older, F/M, Graphic Violence, Luffy Is Smarter Than He Looks, Navy Attacks Straw Hats, Older Straw Hat Pirates, Oneshot, Protective Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji Bickering, West Blue Setting, forced drowning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:29:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28498344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TandemTypewriter/pseuds/TandemTypewriter
Summary: It had been a long night and Nami still needed to get back to the rest of her crew. Surely, they wouldn't sail without her...
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Nami
Kudos: 38





	A Tangerine Bobbing on the Water

**Author's Note:**

> Wanted to write out how an older Luffy would probably play Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass while older Nami is just a Total Badass. Nothing can stop the Straw Hat Pirates.

It had been one Hell of an ordeal, but she was about to complete her mission of the evening.

‘Here goes nothing,” the tangerine-haired woman thought, psyching herself up for meeting with the Straw Hat Pirates.

It had been a long night: first getting her gear, then running into some trouble, then having to drown a Pirate for the sake of blowing her cover, and then making the long walk to the tavern ahead of her because she couldn’t figure out how to make the Clima-Tact in her hands work. Perhaps the mechanism had been busted? Whatever; if nobody asked, nobody’d tell. And besides, there was always a handy sniper that would probably fix it for her…

The meetup spot was ahead of her.

“…Just like the note said,” she muttered, recalling how the Pirate she fought tried to get rid of the information by swallowing the message. Fortunately, she was able to grab it out of their throat and drown them for trying to get between her and the Straw Hats; it had been a little messier than she would’ve liked, but perhaps once this was all over, she’d be able to relax…

As she approached the rendezvous point, she made a point to examine herself before going inside.

Her hair?

Damp, but bright as a tropical fruit. It was a mess of long and curling, swirling sunset waves, the locks cascading over her shoulders like a citrine waterfall before stopping at the small of her back. It moved with the wind and caught the attention of a few onlookers that were impressed with the overall appearance of her “dynamite bod”. Once this was over, she’d cut it; the fight had way too much hairpulling for her liking if it weren’t for her personal training, she probably would have lost a bit of her scalp (as well as her life!). Maybe it was time for a trim…

Clothes?

Slightly torn from conflict, but it was all she had been given before that fight. But so as to not arouse suspicion, she exchanged clothes with the Pirate she had fought before, and since scantily-clad seemed to be the style, there was little doubt in her mind that anyone would think of her suspiciously if she strolled up to the Straw Hats wearing a pair of sandals, well-worn and functional for either soaring in the sky or running on a beach (they were practical and, judging from the brand, very pricey), a sky blue two-piece swimsuit that hugged her bust and rear, and a cloud-printed sarong wrapped around waist in a poor attempt at granting modesty. She had to admit, the bitch had good taste in clothes. The bracelet on her wrist rattled against the Log Pose and a part of her wanted to take either one off but resisted; they were a part of her now. That, and they hid the scratch marks on her arms from when the Pirate had tried to fight her for them.

Head?

Out of the clouds and focused on her mission, but still unnerved by how determined that Pirate was to fight her for the message of the rendezvous point; she had seriously underestimated her opponent, especially the look in their eyes as she struggled to put their head underwater when she docked at the harbor… Angry. Desperate. Savage. She shivered and held her arms; why was she so cold? Getting to the crew and getting warm was now at the top of her list of priorities.

‘…I can’t show weakness. I need to be strong. You can do this!’

Another deep breath and she approached the location where the Straw Hats had converged.

It was a little out of the way on this island but was apparently deemed safe (according to Nico Robin herself!) and there was little doubt in the weary woman’s head that she’d be content once she was inside with the rest of the crew.

The Bloody Lily was by far one of the most out of the way taverns on the island of Paradise Killer; founded by a smuggler from the North Blue, it was a bar known for holding onto items that some pirate crews left behind and would give back for a price. It was like a bank for seafaring ne’er-do-wells and one that Nami had originally suggested they use once they sailed into the West Blue; the western waters was known for its bloody past of war and famine, making the North Blue look like a day at the beach and the East Blue look like Heaven on Earth, to say nothing of how it was the exact opposite of the South Blue’s practical tropical paradise… If the Straw Hats were going to sail the dangerous waters, they needed an ally to keep their gear safe, and while Franky insisted that Sunny was safe enough, Nami wanted to build a rapport with the locals (and perhaps wait for an opportunity to rob them blind…).

So it was decided they stay on Paradise Killer and as for The Bloody Lily…

Well, they got attacked by some Navy officials en route to the former warring island and had chosen the tavern as their rendezvous. And while she was grateful for the message, she really wished didn’t need to fight a Pirate over it, to say nothing of drowning them and stealing their clothes… The warmth of the tavern seemed so inviting and she could hear the laughter of the crew inside.

‘This is it. Let’s go see the Captain…’

…

Pushing open the door, it was clear that The Blood Lily was busy; pirates were everywhere, setting up schemes in hushed whispers, playing music on the stage near the counter, doing knife games on the tables, as well as having a grand ole time as the night went on by telling jokes and retelling adventures, laughing all while enjoying the food and drink. The Straw Hats were of the latter variety, naturally.

Moonlight evaporated into the warmth of the tavern’s lights as she spotted the crew sitting at the largest table in the bar.

They had sailed together for nearly ten years now and despite the passage of time making them older, they still acted as wild as the sea that carried them.

Jimbei was laughing on how he capsized a few vessels while swimming to the island, impressed that he saw so many sailors scattering on the deck before going for an impromptu evening swim. Usopp said he had shot down at least fifty masts, saying he do it again just to break his record, with Chopper asking him for more details on how many more he’d shoot. The chef Sanji was debating whether or not to send back his dish; the food didn’t seem to meet his standards and he was worried it had a debilitating effect on Robin’s appetite while worrying whether one of those downed Navy ships had captured their navigator. Robin was not interested in eating; she was reading a book (How typical!) on the history of the West Blue’s wars and had not noticed her approaching crewmate. But of course, her concentration was broken when Franky, who was drinking a blend of rum and cola, saw her enter the room.

“Hey! There she is!”

Brook jumped off the stage, freeing his performing slot for another soul. To say his appearance spooked her would have been an understatement.

“Oh, thank the Goddess of the Sea, you’re okay! Come, come…!”

His skeletal hand graced her shoulder and she had to avoid the urge to swat it off; she needed to get to the rest of the crew and forget the unpleasantness back at the harbor. Her thoughts seemed to tip off the swordsman Zoro, who served as the “guard” for the table of nine-going-on-ten.

“You look like Hell. Wanna talk about it?”

Go figure he’d go for the jugular.

Before she could open her mouth, a pair of arms grabbed her and sat her next to their owner.

“Nami! What took so long?!”

It was the Captain, Straw Hat Luffy.

…

“…It wasn’t easy,” she confessed, “But I’m glad to have made here. The Navy’s really aggressive around these parts, apparently…” She rubbed her wrist, the palm hitting Nojiko’s bracelet and the Log Pose; the scratches left behind from the fight were irritating her skin.

“Nami,” Chopper intervened, “Do you want me to look at those scratches? We don’t want them to get infected…” Robin looked up from her book and watched as the kind doctor examined the marks. “You know,” the archaeologist began, “Some women in the West Blue paint their nails in toxins to discourage attackers. I read that even the female sailors do the same for when they have to bring in pirates.” After getting his order returned to him in a sauce that he swore was vomit, Sanji dropped the cigarette from his lips and looked to Chopper. “Crap! Is that true?! Chopper, you gotta save Nami!!”

“I’m fine, Sanji, really; I don’t think she poisoned me or anything… After I left the Eastern Harbor, I felt way better.”Luffy’s hand hadn’t left her shoulder and she could feel his smile make her feel at ease. “You heard her! Don’t worry about it!” She felt safe with him; that was probably one of the reasons Nami was usually at his side. “Hey, Captain,” she spoke up, “I think I need a change of scenery. Wanna come with?” Rubbing his formerly inflated stomach, Luffy let out a belch before getting up.

“I’m stuffed, so sure! Lead the way!”

She was about to take him by the hand when the Captain took the lead and ran out of the tavern, still grabbing her arm.

“Luuuuuuuuuuufffffffffffffffyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…?!”

“We’ll be back soon!”

The door slammed shut behind them, leaving the rest of the crew to sigh in relief.

“Well,” Jimbei growled, “Did anyone else notice that the Navy’s aggression is escalating? Should we be worried?”

Scratching the back of his head, Usopp shrugged. “I don’t think we have to worry too much; Nami’s strong and Luffy knows what he’s doing… I think. Besides, her Clima-Tact isn’t broken, so we’re not in danger.”

Zoro, leaning against Robin as he looked over his fourth-acquired blade, spoke only a few words, reaffirming their faith in the “Freest Man in the World”.

“Of course he knows what he’s doing. This is Nami we’re talking about. He’s no fool… So. Who wants to go fishing in the Eastern Harbor?”

…

“Y-You didn’t need to tell them we’d come back,” she muttered sheepishly, her shadow meeting his as they walked the dirt path away from the harbor, “I was kind of hoping to talk to you alone… And not need to rush back to the others…”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Luffy mentioned, holding onto his straw hat, “How about we head back to Sunny? This way we can have all the privacy we need.” Was he… Flirting? A part of her didn’t know how to deal with that. “Sure thing, Captain.”

They walked deeper into the tropical glen, the shallow seawater now drifting over their ankles as Luffy took her hand, guiding to where their ship had docked…

“Um, Luffy?

…Only to find a vacant space of jungle with a small lifeboat in its place.

“Whoops! Must’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere…! I guess I should’ve asked Franky where he docked her, huh?” His smile was still full and energetic, but something felt off. “Ah well. So, what did you want to talk about?”

This was her chance!

“Right, Luffy, I—!”

“Hold on…”

It was so fast, she couldn’t quite comprehend it. A tug against her waist, a gentle push on her crown, and the gap between them closed in an instant.

He kissed her, their lips locked for only a second, but enough for the aspiring Pirate King.

“L-Luffy, wha—?”

“Your taste changed,” Luffy remarked, his smile disappearing into an angered frown.

A pair of hands sprouted from out of nowhere, covering her mouth and restraining her hands.

**_“Mmmmph?!”_ **

The petals that emerged from them—! This was—!

“Sorry about that, Captain,” Robin smirked, “It took a while, but we found her.”

The Captain beamed as he left her side to join Robin’s and found the whole crew was there. And in Jimbei’s arms… “Nami!” yelled Luffy, his smile fully restored at the sight of his crew’s navigator.

“…luffy…”

He jumped past the imposter and ran up her as she said his name.

“How ya feeling? Chopper?”

The doctor gave his Captain the diagnosis. “She’s going to be okay. Nami managed to make an air bubble during the fight, so she survived the worst of it. But she was poisoned; the sooner we get back to Sunny, the sooner I can make an antidote.”

“Good idea. Robin?”

“Yes, Captain.”

She put her hands over the imposter’s face, cutting off her air. But through her terror, the imposter managed to scream out a single question.

**“How did you know?!”**

Luffy took off his hat and placed it on Nami, who was now smiling at the punishment her attacker was receiving, and motioned Robin to explain. “You may disguise yourself all you want, but it was over when you sat down at the table. You see… Our navigator has a tan line from that bracelet she wears. And then you mentioned that your Clima-Tact was broken…” Usopp interrupted, folding his arms in anger, “Which was such a load of bullshit! It works just fine; you just didn’t know how to use it…” “And naturally,” Robin beamed, her eyes fully intent on delivering karma, “it was how you interacted with Captain. Here I thought the Navy was fully-informed on the Straw Hats…”

**“Wh-What do… You mean?”**

Sanji took a huff of his cigarette before snuffing out his personal flame of passion.

“Not sure if it’s my place to say, but… Captain and Nami-swan are involved. Damn it…”

So her intel was incomplete?! It was over from the start?! No, her mission was over before it even began! How was she supposed to face Fleet Admiral Sakazuki now?!

Nami, finding the strength in her legs, moved out of Jimbei’s hold and staggered to her imposter’s place. “Robin, she huffed, her breathing labored, “I wanna see her face.” “Of course…”

The hands left her face, and she could breathe once more!

**“You bitch!!”** Nami roared, throwing off the coat the Navy official had so “graciously given” her. **“Captain Morgan Faye, if I see you again, you’ll regret joining the Navy!!”**

Robin cut off Faye’s air, forcing her into unconsciousness and onto the ground as Nami knelt to her side.

“Luffy, gimme some cover; I wanna take my clothes back…”

…

It was sunrise when the Straw Hats set out from Paradise Killer, happy that they were all reunited. It had been a long time since they were roughed up by the Navy, but now they were a little more aware of their enemy’s tactics.

“So,” Sanji inquired, hearts spreading over his eyes, “do you think they’ll be sending out women to kill us? They tried with Gol D. Roger, so…”

“Knowing you, we’d find you dead in a bordello somewhere,” Zoro remarked, bringing to mind the chef’s taste for the local beauties would probably be his undoing.

“I was drugged! And I keep telling you, I had no idea that waitress was a Marine!!”

“If the sheath fits…”

“What?!”

As the chef and swordsman argued, Nami left Chopper’s office and went to where Luffy was waiting: On the bow of the ship. Sitting on Sunny’s head, he heard her approach and made room for her to sit next to him. She joined her Captain’s side and gave him back his straw hat.

“So,” she began, “where should we drop Captain Faye off? I’m thinking the nearest Navy Base with a note that says “Too obvious. Try harder next time”.”

Captain Morgan Faye was bound and gagged, covered in the same lifeboat that the Straw Hats discovered in the jungle of Paradise Killer. Tied to Sunny’s deck, she was unconscious and to be delivered wherever the pirate crew wanted to put her.

He laughed at her words.

“Yeah! Maybe add “Send more Marines”!”

“By the way, Luffy,” she muttered, growling in anger as she pulled at his cheek, “What the Hell was that?! You **kissed** her?! What the Hell were you thinking?!”

“I had to be sure…!”

“You… Are such an idiot…”

She leaned against him, her hand intertwining with his.

“…But you’re my idiot.”

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way! Shishishi!!”

**Author's Note:**

> Dunno if the twist was expected or not, but this was fun to write. Hope you enjoyed reading it and have a nice day!


End file.
